Su Wen heard her sisters' heart-wrenching cries but could not go to them. The fire she had started was a gamble; she had to watch it closely or risk letting the blaze burn too hot and too big. She had no intention of killing anyone by accident.
Su Wen gestured to her sisters, signing that she was fine. Opening the gates, she shouted, "Help! Thieves! They're on fire!" Several neighbors came to her rescue before she could even finish. Many of them had not even had the time to put on their shoes; instead, running out of their houses barefoot with buckets in their hands.
"Help!"
"Little Wen, what happened? What fire?" Shen Erkui was the first to arrive. His family home was some distance away from Su Wen's house. However, Shen Erkui did not have a good relationship with his family, so he bunked in a dormitory provided by headquarters. Had he managed to earn some money from his time outside, his family might have welcomed him home, albeit reluctantly.
